It was a crisp, breezy afternoon on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at Oak Island Golf Course in Caswell Beach, North Carolina. The sun hung low over the Atlantic, casting golden rays across the fairways as 59-year-old Ken Evola stepped up to the tee box on the 17th hole.

A lifelong golfer from St James, Ken had been coming to Oak Island for years, drawn by its coastal charm and the challenge of its George Cobb-designed layout. Today, though, felt different—there was a buzz in the air, a whisper of possibility carried on the ocean wind. Hole 17 at Oak Island is a picturesque par-3, 165 yards, with a green framed by windswept live oaks and a bunker guarding the front left. The pin was tucked toward the front, swaying slightly in the breeze that rolled off the nearby shore. Ken's playing partners—Larry, Vinnie and Jack —watched as he pulled his 8-iron from the bag. He took his stance, the wind tugging at his visor, and focused on the flag. With a smooth swing, the ball rocketed off the clubface, a high arcing shot that seemed to dance with the breeze. The ball sailed true, cutting through the wind, and landed just short of the pin. It took one bounce, then rolled—slowly, agonizingly—toward the cup. The group held their breath as it hit the pin… and disappeared. “Hole-in-one!” Jack screamed, jumping up and down. Ken’s jaw dropped, his club slipping from his hands as Larry rushed over to fist bump him. Larry grabbed his phone to snap a photo of the green. The celebration was immediate—high-fives, laughter, and a few happy tears as the reality sank in. Ken Evola, on this unassuming Tuesday, had just aced the 17th at Oak Island. At Duffer’s Pub & Grille, the course’s restaurant, Ken and his friends enjoyed their drinks. “I’ve been chasing this moment my whole life,” Ken said, still clutching the ball he’d fished from the cup, now marked with the date and hole number in Sharpie. As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, Ken stood by the 17th green one last time, soaking it in. The wind and the oaks—it was a perfect Carolina day, and now, an unforgettable one. Oak Island Golf Course had given him a story he’d tell for years to come.